Angostura manages to keep staff, donate 70,000 hand sanitizers

Angostura has begun to donate 50,000 bottles of 375 ml and 20,000 bottles of 1.75 litres hand sanitizer to public hospitals for healthcare workers, the Ministry of National Security for its first responders, National Petroleum, Ministry of Public Utilities, the Attorney General’s office, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, WASA, Prisons, T&TEC, surrounding community and other entities with direct public interaction.

In a statement on Wednesday, Angostura CEO Peter Sandstrom said the hand sanitizer comprises of 80% ethyl alcohol and small amounts of hydrogen peroxide and glycerin. He said the hand sanitizer is made according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations and formula.

“This is not the first time Angostura has stepped in to give assistance to the nation. In fact, the Company has a long history of supporting its communities, employees and partners. We, at Angostura, have taken account of the need of our citizens for help in the fight against the virus and accordingly have altered our production line to assist the community,” Sandstrom said as he praised staff for working tirelessly to achieve this feat.

He added the company took the initiative to give back since frontline workers place their lives at risk to flatten the curve: “We felt it was crucial to manufacture and donate hand sanitizer for frontline healthcare workers and other first responders. These are workers who are putting their lives on the line to combat the spread of COVID-19. It is important to us that they are protected from this virus. We, at Angostura, appreciate their sacrifices and we salute them for their contribution.”

Sandstrom went on to note that Angostura’s executive team decided to produce high-grade alcohol for sanitizing liquids to ensure that the organization could support the nation’s fight against the novel coronavirus.

He said this required making modifications to increase its alcohol production capacity since one of the plants was down. The Angostura CEO stated that in spite of these uncertain times, it has been able to sustain operations and maintain staff through strict and stringent safety measures. This includes reviewing the supply chains to maintain business continuity.

The statement ended with praise being showered on members of the public: “We salute you our people. We salute the very pro-active steps being taken by our Government. We walk together with our people hand in hand to conquer this virus in the hope that our people are protected in every way that we can. We say our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones and we ask that our citizens observe the strictest protocols for combating the virus. We are aware that the closure of bars and recreational facilities has an impact on our people but rest assured that such measures are absolutely necessary and in the short term these measures will go a long way towards stopping the further spread of the virus. Together, we can all fight this and rise as a country to see the dawn of a new beginning freed from the shackles of this virus.”

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